Christmas Present Hunt
by KaruKageXP
Summary: Arthur creates a scavenger hunt for Alfred to remind him of their relationship. His reward? You'll have to read to find out! This was a collaboration between my friend and I. Hope you enjoy! BTW, the title sucks...so sorry about that...
1. Arthur's POV

**Written by my bestie~ Thanks for everything Crystal!**

Arthur smiled coyly as he walked into the bustling airport.

_Brilliant_, he thought. _I'm absolutely brilliant. _

As long as Alfred didn't get distracted or give up, he would be occupied with the scavenger hunt for a long time, which gave Arthur plenty of time to take a flight to D.C. and surprise him at his place. With a rolling suitcase in tow and a special gift in his pocket, Arthur strode contently through the entrance.

It was just three days before Christmas, and the airport was busier than ever. Thousands upon thousands of bundled up bodies shuffled along the main lobby, and one of them bumped into Arthur's shoulder, causing him to stumble.

"Sorry," the stranger mumbled as he continued walking without even missing a beat.

"Bloody hell," Arthur cursed under his breath. Luckily, it didn't seem like he had dropped anything. He brushed himself off, sighing in contempt, and continued to look at the board of departures.

"Let's see…" he started. "D.C, D.C, D…" his voice trailed off as the words on the board changed, flashing red. One by one, each flight's status changed to the exact same word: delayed. Paris: delayed, Madrid: delayed, New York: delayed, delayed, delayed, delayed. The board flashed red as grumbles and angry shouts filled the room.

_What the-_ Arthur wondered. _What's going on?_

Arthur managed to squeeze past the infuriated crowd until he reached the help desk.

"Excuse me," he asked hurriedly, "What's the problem here?"

"I'm sorry sir," answered the lady, "But all flights have been delayed due to weather."

"Delayed? Great!" Arthur exclaimed angrily. "I don't know how this could possibly get any worse."

As if on some cosmic cue, the words on the departures list changed again, only this time, each status shined the forbidden word on it: CANCELLED.

As Arthur stared in disbelief at the board, the lady at the desk answered a call, nodding and saying a quick "Alright" before putting down the phone. Taking a deep breath, she faked a smile as she said, "I'm very sorry, but all flights have been officially cancelled until further notice."

"…"

Somewhere in deep space, a very British-sounding disturbance could be heard.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?"

_Hurry, hurry, _thought Arthur as he ran out of the airport. _What should I do? I have to get to Washington or everything will be ruined! _He stopped in front of a world map. _Let's see… a ferry would take too long. I have no idea how I'm going to get to America, but I have to start somewhere. _His finger traced along the border of his own country as he pensively tried to think of a plan. _The best place to go right now… is… _Trailing downward, his finger stopped at the closest country. _Bollocks! Anyone but this wanker._

Despite his complete and utter disgust for this country, Arthur realized that he had no other choice: he had to take a Chunnel and seek aid from his old enemy. You guessed it, he was going to France.

Francis was looking in distaste at the state of his living room when he heard the doorbell ring. "Coming!" he exclaimed. _That's strange, _he wondered. _That punk told me Alfred wouldn't be here for at least another few hours._

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see said "punk" waiting impatiently for him. "Arthur?" he asked. "What are you doing-"

"There's no time to explain," Arthur interrupted. "Flights are down, and I need to get to America as quickly as possible."

"Oh hon hon," laughed Francis. "Looks like you are in quite a predicament, my little _Angleterre_. At least tell me you got Alfred a decent gift to make up for it."

"Of course I do!" protested Arthur. "It's right… right…" he patted his pockets, but to his dismay, nothing was in it. "Oh no," he whispered. He dropped all his stuff as looked frantically through his pockets. "Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, SHOOT!" That's when Arthur remembered the incident at the airport. _I must have dropped it when that arsehole bumped into me._

Francis was looking on in amusement when Arthur suddenly grabbed his collar and yelled, "Where's the closest mall?"

"Well that depends," said Francis calmly. "What do you want to buy? If it's something like a video game or a scary movie I know some good places to find some."

Arthur loosened his grip slightly as his eyes shifted to the side. Francis could have sworn that he was blushing a little. "It's nothing like that, it's…" he leaned in closer and whispered in Francis' ear.

Francis couldn't help but smile. _So that's it, _he thought. "Well then," he said. "We can get that too."

After quickly driving to the nearly shopping district, Arthur hastily picked out his present and paid for it at the counter.

"Are you sure _Angleterre?_" Francis asked. "Can you afford something that-"

"Shut up!" Arthur yelled in annoyance. "There's no time to worry about that!" He took his gift and practically ran out of the store. Francis smirked and followed suit.

However, as they were driving back to Francis' home, Arthur looked at his nearly empty wallet and sighed. This was going to complicate things.

Back at home, Francis asked, "So what are you going to do now?"

_Here we go_. "Well…" Arthur mumbled. "I need… a favor. I don't have enough money to take a train out of here, and…"

Francis raised his eyebrow. "You want to borrow money? From me?"

"Please!" Arthur begged. "I'll do anything!" It was degrading, but he was desperate.

"Well…" Francis thought, a devilish look in his eyes. "If you could do one little thing for me, I'd be happy to give you the money."

Arthur gulped. "What?"

"I'm having a Christmas party tomorrow, but my house is such a mess!" Francis explained. "Just look at all this dust! Would you mind cleaning up a little?"

Normally, Arthur would strangle Francis for such a suggestion, so Francis was surprised when Arthur just looked him straight at the eye and nodded. "Well, I obviously can't clean up the books for the scavenger hunt but… I'll do it."

Now, Francis was staring at Arthur while he dusted off the huge shelves in the library.

"You must really love Alfred, non?" he asked.

"Shut up!" Arthur muttered. There was no way he was going to talk about his emotions with Francis of all people. Suddenly, a feeling of dread surged over him as he heard the doorbell ring.

"Speaking of Alfred, that must be him now," Francis said as he walked over to answer the door.

"Wait you bloody idiot!" yelled Arthur. "I need to hide!" Francis obviously didn't hear him, as he continued to walk to the entrance. _Think, think. Where can I go? _Francis had already answered the door and was making small talk with Alfred. Having nowhere else to go, Arthur dove under the huge table in the middle of room just as Alfred was coming in.

Arthur crouched under the table the entire afternoon, struggling not to make a Alfred finally turned in for the night, Arthur practically fell flat on the floor out of exhaustion. But there was no time. He needed to get out, and fast. Francis met him as he was rushing out the door.

"Here's your money," Francis whispered.

"Thanks," replied Arthur. As he was running out, Francis hit him in the back with a crumpled up piece of paper. Arthur frowned as he bent over and picked up the small note. As he unraveled it, his thick eyebrows creased in confusion. In his hands, he was holding a 50-euro note. He looked at Francis in search of an answer.

"Think of it as a Christmas gift," Francis called as he winked and closed the door.

_Hmm… stupid frog, _Arthur thought smiling slightly. He proceeded to turn around and run to the train station as fast as possible. While he was waiting for the train to get in the station, he sent a letter to Austria in it enclosed his letter to Alfred.

He ended up taking the TGV, the fastest train available and in almost no time at all he found himself in Germany.

_That was too close,_ thought Arthur. _Alfred nearly saw me in France! I should be safe now, since he has a few more tasks to accomplish before coming to Germany, but still, I have to hurry._

Arthur started running to Ludwig's house. It was pretty early in the morning, but he was hoping the German would be awake. He was so intent on getting there as fast as he could that he didn't hear the screams of a whining Italian man coming closer.

"Wah… Ludwig… I don't wanna run anymore!" cried Feliciano as he was jogging down the sidewalk.

"Just shut up!" yelled Ludwig in demand, following behind him. "This is training, not a vacation! Kiku, keep up the pace!"

"Hai!" exclaimed Kiku in between short breaths.

The Axis Powers were running laps as a part of Ludwig's rigorous early morning training. Leave it to Ludwig to be exercising despite the fact that it was only a few days before Christmas.

"Veeeee…" whined Feli. "I'm gonna pass out!"

"Run faster or you're not getting pasta for lunch!" warned Germany.

"What?" As if rocket boosters had magically appeared on his legs, Feli started running faster than a speeding bullet. As he turned the corner, however, he had no time to react before crashing into a young blond man with bushy eyebrows.

"Aahh!" cried Arthur as he was thrust into the street. His head collided with a parked car with a huge _thunk_ and he slid to the ground, completely passed out.

"Kirkland-san?" asked Kiku in horror.

"Oh no!" cried Feli. "What do we do! He's not moving!"

"Wait here," commanded Kiku. "I will get Ludwig."

When Kiku arrived with Ludwig, the robust German man was mortified.

"What happened?" he yelled.

"Ve…ve… I was running really fast like you told me to, and then I bumped into him and he hit his head," explained a hyperventilating Feli. "What do we do?"

Ludwig thought quickly. "Well, it was just an accident, ja? Luckily it looks like the skin isn't broken, but he has an enormous bump on his head. For now, let's just take him home."

_A few hours later_

"Ow… my aching head…" moaned Arthur. He sat up, realizing that he was covered with a blanket on a couch of an unfamiliar-looking house. "What happened?"

He looked up to find a concerned Feliciano looking at him. "Hey guys, he's finally awake!" Feli exclaimed in excitement.

Ludwig and Kiku came rushing in. "Oh thank goodness you are alright," said Kiku with a sigh of relief.

"Ja, you were hit in the head very badly," said Ludwig, looking briefly at Feli.

"Ve… I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Feli apologized.

That's when everything came rushing back to Arthur. He got a very panicked look on his face. "Wait, what time is it?" he yelled.

"That's what I was about to tell you," explained Ludwig. "According to your instructions, Alfred should be here soon. Which brings the question… what are you doing here?"

Arthur explained his situation to the trio. "…And that's why I need to get to America as soon as possible."

Germany nodded in understanding. "Well if you can't get there by plane, then your plan is to get there by land, correct? So you need to keep going east until you reach America."

"Exactly," said Arthur. "What's your fastest way of getting anywhere?"

"I would say the Autobahn," Germany explained. "From there I suggest you take a train."

"Alright," said Arthur as he tried to get up. "Could I borrow your car? I'll drive to the train station and…ah!" he exclaimed as he dropped back down onto the couch, clutching his head. _Damn, _he thought. _Everything feels like its spinning._

"There's no way you can drive in your condition," Ludwig declared. "One of us will have to take you."

"I'll do it, I'll do it!" screamed Feli, jumping in excitement.

The whole room fell silent. Kiku looked positively horrified at the idea and even Ludwig cringed a little.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I think I should probably drive."

"No, no!" exclaimed Feli. "I want to do it! I'm the fastest driver out of all of us. After all, I need to help Arthur as an apology for what I did earlier."

"What's wrong with having Feliciano take me? If he's the fastest, then he should drive," Arthur asked in confusion.

"Well," started Ludwig. "You have a good point. What do you think Kiku? …Kiku?"

Somehow, Kiku had snuck out during the conversation and locked himself in one of Ludwig's closets.

Ludwig sighed. "Alright, you can take him Feliciano. We shouldn't waste any more time."

The group, minus Kiku, walked to Ludwig's car. As Arthur got in, however, Ludwig closed the door and waved somberly from the outside.

"Wait," asked Arthur. "You're not coming with us?"

"Nein," explained Ludwig. His facial expression was the closest thing to PURE FEAR that anyone had ever seen on him. "I wish you luck."

"Vee… Ludwig…" Feli whimpered, his lip quivering. "You have to come with us. I don't want to go alone."

Ludwig couldn't resist those puppy eyes. Mustering up all his courage, he opened the door. "Fine," he said as he stepped into the car.

Here's today's daily lesson: never, I MEAN NEVER, get into a car with an Italian going on a highway with virtually no speed limits. This will result in permanent emotional damage and probably death. That being said, on with the story!

Arthur and Ludwig got out of the car looking like they had just been visited by the angel of death, while Feli was skipping along happily behind them.

"I will never, ever, go on the Autobahn again," whimpered Arthur, looking for a trashcan he could hurl into.

"Were we on the Autobahn?" Ludwig asked, his voice on the verge of insanity. "I don't even remember the car ever touching the road."

"Vee… that was fun," said Feli cheerfully. "So where are you going Arthur?"

Arthur snapped out of his distraught state and said, "Oh right! Well, how far can I get with the money I have now?"

Since Arthur was running low on cash, he decided to ride to Poland and figure something else out once he was there. As he got on the train, he waved goodbye to his kind friends. "Thanks a lot!" he exclaimed. "I won't forget this!"

As he got off the train, his eyes spotted a certain brown jacket-wearing man just exiting the train. He quickly got to his seat before turning back to Alfred and sparing him a loving glance before the train left the station.

When Arthur reached Feliks' house, he hesitated for a moment. His wallet was almost completely empty: the only thing left was Francis' extra 50 Euro note. Hoping to get this over with quickly, his hand reached for the horse-shaped knocker on the door, but just before he banged it, he heard what sounded like… caroling.

"On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… a totally cute hot pink Snuggle!" came a loud voice from inside.

"On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… two turtlenecks, and a totally cute hot pink Snuggle! On the-"

Arthur couldn't wait for them to get through ten more days. He knocked twice harshly on the door.

"I'll get it!" came a quieter voice. To Arthur's surprise, Toris opened the door.

"Arthur? What are you-"

"May I come in?" Arthur asked quickly. He really needed to get going.

Toris nodded slightly and let him come inside. Upon seeing the frazzled looking gentleman, Feliks stopped singing and yelled, "Arthur! What a surprise! Are you here to like, sing with us?"

"I'm sorry to be a burden," Arthur started, wanting to cut right to the chase. "But I need to get to Russia. Fast."

"Russia?" Feliks asked. "Well Toris was like, going to go there right now, right?"

"That's perfect!" Arthur replied with joy. "Can I come with you?"

"Well…" Toris said hesitantly. "I'm not sure if you want to travel the way I do. Russia forces me to come to his place every Christmas, but he never sends me any money to get there. I usually hitch a ride on the back of some fruit cart, and since it's completely open, I tend to get a little frostbite." Holding up his hands, Arthur saw that the tips of his fingers were getting a little blue. Looking into Toris' sad and sweet eyes, he took sympathy on the poor Lithuanian. Looking at his nearly empty wallet, he made a decision that wasn't smart methodically, but that he knew in his heart was the right thing to do.

Taking out the 50 Euro note, Arthur held it out to Toris and said, "Here, this should be enough money to get you there without having to amputate your fingers."

He handed over the bill to a very surprised-looking Toris. "Oh no, I couldn't possibly-"

"Please take it," the British gentlemen insisted. "You need it more than I do."

"Tha-Thank you!" stuttered Toris. "Well then, I should get going!" he said as he ran off to catch the nearest train.

After waving goodbye, Feliks turned to Arthur and said, "Wow. That was like, really really nice of you. You know what, I'm going to let you ride my mustang! You'll get to Russia in no time!"

Arthur was taken aback. Feliks had a car as cool as a mustang? He didn't care if it was hot pink or some other outrageous color, he would take it. "That's great. Where is it?"

"Here, I'll go introduce you to her," Feliks said as he led Arthur to the backyard. _Introduce? What would he mean by… oh sweet mother Britannia. _

Arthur found himself in front of the stables looking at one of Feliks' many ponies. This "mustang," as Feliks called it, was the girliest thing since Toddlers and Tiaras. She was a tiny mare with a braided mane, a hot pink saddle and flowers tattooed on its butt. It looked like it came straight out of My Little Pony. But if it was the only thing he had…

"I'll take it," Arthur said, looking very determined.

There Arthur was, riding uh, valiantly across the snowy horizon with a… majestic beast and its soft hair whipping in the wind, and… eh who am I kidding? Arthur looked as cute as a cupcake riding on that pony across the country. But Feliks was right; despite its petite stature, it was probably the fastest pony alive. He arrived in Russia about an hour earlier than he expected. A furious snowstorm was rearing its ugly head, causing Arthur to rush quickly to Ivan's front door. Rubbing his sore behind, he knocked on the huge wooden door.

"Yes?" answered Ivan as he opened the door. "Oh Arthur! Aren't you supposed to be on the other side of the world right now?" he asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"Yes, I should be, but I need a ride," Arthur said. He hated to be so rude and forward, especially to Ivan of all people, but the clock was ticking.

"Of course!" said Ivan with a smile on his face. Apparently the holidays thawed over his normally cold and ruthless heart. "I'll just fly you over there! We can take my plane now!"

_Fly? _Arthur thought, looking skeptically up at the sky. "Um, isn't the weather a little too chaotic for flying?"

"Oh no," said Ivan reassuringly. "This is just a little drizzle compared to what we usually get here in Russia. Come now, let's go. You don't want to be late, da?" he asked with a creepy smile. Guess the holidays did have its limits on producing miracles.

"Eh…" Arthur gulped. "You're right, let's go."

30,000 feet above the ground, Arthur could finally sit back and take not only some well needed rest, but also some well needed time to think.

It had been a crazy couple of days. But why? Why was he willing to do so much just so he could get to D.C. before Alfred? It didn't make any sense. But Francis' words couldn't get out of Arthur's head.

"_You really love Alfred, non?"_

_I guess I do, _thought Arthur. He had never really thought about it before, but deep down he knew he loved the loud American. He always had, even when Alfred was a little baby. Back then, Alfred was his precious baby brother. But he had grown up so fast. Now… now they were in love. And nothing was going to separate them, not even the fact that they were separated on opposite ends of the earth.

_I would travel anywhere, any distance to be with him, _Arthur concluded. _Yes, I really do love him, more than I could possibly say._ He fell asleep hoping that by this time tomorrow, he would be by Alfred's side again.

"Drink up," said Ivan, waking Arthur from his pensive daze. In his right hand he held a large bottle of Vodka.

Arthur immediately rejected the idea. "No thanks, I'm not a big fan of drinking. So what airport are we landing in?" In all the craziness, he had forgotten to ask Ivan where he was being dropped off.

"Oh, we're not landing this plane," Ivan said.

"…What?"

"It's too dangerous to try to land in this weather, so we're just going to drop you off right here, in Canada."

"What do you mean you're going to drop me off…" Arthur paused as he saw what Ivan was clutching in his left hand: a parachute.

"Oh no, there's no way I'm jumping off this plane."

"Don't worry," Ivan smiled. "With all that snow, you'll be fine. It's like jumping onto a soft mattress, da?"

_He's crazy_, thought Arthur. _But if this is the only way…_ He vigorously grabbed the bottle and chugged down the entire 1.75 liters of vodka. Grabbing the parachute, he jumped out of the plane, yelling "AMERICA NO BAAAAAKKKKKKKKAAAAAAA!" the entire way down.

_Well, _Ivan thought. _He took that better than I expected. Oh well, I should get going. Alfred should be at my house any minute. _With that, he magically vanished in a puff of smoke.

Arthur landed miraculously on the softest pile of snow Canada had to offer. He actually came out relatively unscathed, considering the fact that he had just parachuted down 30,000 feet during a killer snowstorm. Things would have been perfect, except…

"Eh..he… the clouds lookin' like *hic* flyin' mint bunnies…" he slurred as he collapsed to the snowy ground. Arthur was completely drunk out of his mind. He laughed crazily as he made sloppy snow angels on the floor and rolled on his back like a little dog. After an hour of drunken ecstasy, he passed out right there on the cold floor.

Many hours later, Arthur felt a wet nose pressing his cheek. In the distance, he heard a familiar voice.

"Kumajiro? What is it?"

Matthew came running over, and gasped when he saw his older brother. "Arthur? Hey, wake up!"

Long seconds past as Matthew held his breath, dreading the worst possibilities. Thankfully, Arthur moaned as he got up looking like he had simply been sleeping for too long. "Wha- ah, my heeeeaddd… not again," Arthur groaned.

He was about to collapse on the ground again, but Matthew caught him just in time. "Whoa, easy there," he said. "We need to get you home." Arthur nodded wordlessly, and Matthew slung his arm over his shoulder and helped him get into the car.

When Arthur woke up, he was in another couch in another house. Unfortunately, it was not the house he had hoped to be in by now. His vision was blurry, but soon he could make out some voices.

"Hey Mattie, isn't your brother supposed to be here soon?" a rough voice asked.

"Yup, just give me a minute," answered Matthew. Arthur heard footsteps approaching, and when he looked up, he saw Matthew's kind face looking at him with sympathy. "Good, you're awake," he said. "That Russian vodka is amazing. I don't know how, but it helped you survive in the snow." _Maybe that's Ivan's secret, _Arthur thought whimsically. _That's strange… isn't there somewhere I need to be right now? _Arthur suddenly shot up off the couch and yelled, "Shoot, I should be in D. C. right now!"

"Calm down, calm down," whispered Matthew. "First, we should take care of that hangover. Here," he said handing him a mug full of unappetizing-looking brown liquid. "This is proven to get rid of any hangover, guaranteed."

Arthur looked at the drink suspiciously. Not only did the liquid look like sewage water, but it smelt like old socks and rotten fish. "And… what would you know about hangovers, Matthew? Have you been doing anything lately that I should know about?" he asked with one eyebrow raised.

"No- No! Nothing like that!" Matthew stuttered embarrassingly. "It's just… Gilbert comes home sometimes having drunken one beer too many. And this usually clears him up right away!"

"Hey, no amount of beer is too much for the awesome Prussia!" Gilbert yelled in the background.

"Well, if you say so…" muttered Arthur. He looked once more at the mug, then swallowed the entire thing in one huge gulp. Gagging and convulsing on the couch, he had to do all he could to keep the retched mixture in his stomach. But gradually, his head stopped throbbing and he could actually process things clearly. "Wow," Arthur gasped. "That's some powerful stuff."

Matthew smiled. "Told you. Now what were you saying about being in D.C?"

The Canadian listened to Arthur explain what had happened for what felt like the millionth time, and when it was all over, Matthew sprung into action. "I understand. I'll take you as far as the border, but that's all I can do."

"Thanks, Matthew," Arthur said with a smile. "I knew I could count on you!" Matthew blushed. It wasn't often he was complimented, or even noticed for that matter.

"No- no problem," he stuttered again. "Let's go."

Matthew drove quickly to the border just outside of New York, and shouted, "Merry Christmas!" as he was driving away.

"Merry Christmas!" Arthur replied. Now all he needed to do was get a taxi to D. C… _Shoot_, Arthur thought. _I forgot I don't have any more money._ But this wasn't going to stop him now: he didn't take three trains, one pony, and jump out of a plane just to get stuck in New York when he was so close to Alfred's home.

_Alright, think Arthur, think! _he motivated himself. Arthur scanned his surroundings. He saw a trashcan, a homeless man, a bike, a pigeon, another trashcan- wait. Arthur did a double take back to the bike. _I could work with this, _he thought as a smirk ran across his face.

200 miles, two flat tires, and countless hours in the freezing cold later, Arthur finally arrived at Alfred's house. He found the hidden key under the floor mat, unlocked the door, and went inside.

"Finally," he breathed a sigh of relief. The house was dark, but there were Christmas lights and other decorations scattered around the rooms.

_Now, just a few more finishing touches and I'm ready._

As Arthur put his jacket on the couch in the living room, he thought again about what he had done to get to where he was right now. _I took a Chunnel to France, a train to Germany, a heart-wrenching drive on the Autobahn, another train to Poland, a stupid pony to Russia, jumped out of a plane to Canada, a car ride to New York, and a bike to Washington D.C. And throughout all that I had to clean Francis' house, crouch under a table for hours on end, took an injury to the head, got the worst hangover in the world, and had to drink Matthew's vile medicine. Now all there's left to do is cook some dinner and… oh screw it, _he concluded as he dropped down to the couch exhausted. He fell asleep instantly just as a special American was opening the door.

**All reviews will be loved X2 and will be sent to original author! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Alfred's POV

**This is the portion I wrote. Enjoy~!**

"IGGY! IGGY OPEN UP!"

It was 4 days before Christmas. Alfred had decided to visit Arthur during Christmas this year. He had been knocking on his door for over a minute and Arthur hadn't answered him. What was wrong? He nearly knocked down the door before noticing the 3 post-its on the door. It said:

_Alfred_

_You've probably been knocking for a long time so I put a band-aid attached to this note just in case. I have decided to make you work for your Christmas present this year so, I have devised a scavenger hunt so that you can learn more about my history and me. This is the first clue:_

_This is the first person who found me. He treated me terribly until I grew older and rebelled against him. This is also where I got most of my magical friends. You probably still don't know so I'll give you a hint: It starts with an S._

"Sssssealand? Ssssssseychelles? Ssssscotland!" Alfred said jumping up and going to the train station (the planes in England were not working for some reason)

When he arrived in Scotland, he began knocking on the door. Scotland opened up.

"'Oh. Hi, 'Merica."

"Hi, Scotland. I'm um… doing a scavenger hunt for … your brother. Do you happen to have a clue for me?"

"Yea. I do. It's round back on his favorite tree when he was younger. Good luck finding it!"

America went out back only to find a million trees.

"ENGLAND! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FIND IT?" It was then that he saw a small rabbit on the edge of the forest.

He slowly walked up to the rabbit trying not to scare it. When he got close enough to touch it, he slowly sat down and started petting it.

"Hey there, little guy. Do you know where England's favorite tree is?" The rabbit perked up at England's name and ran into the forest. American stood up and followed knowing that the rabbit would lead him to where he needed to go.

After a while, the rabbit stopped and America put his hands on his knees while catching his breath. When he stood up he saw the most beautiful tree every. All over the branches were old lanterns and hideouts that a little boy would love to crawl through. Right in front of his face was a piece of parchment attached to the tree with a nail.

He picked it off and read:

_Stupid frog._

That's all it said and that's all it needed to say before America started back towards London. He needed to take a Chunnel.

After a few hours, he finally arrived in Paris. He walked towards France's place. Once he arrived he knocked on the door.

"Mon ami, Alfred. I assume you are here for mon petit Arthur, non? You just missed him by a few hours"

"Arthur? He was here?"

"Why yes. He seemed very determined about, er… something or another. But, let's focus on you, non?"

"Yeah. So, where's the clue?"

"Well, Angleterre and I have a long history. He had me take out all of my history books of us. You need to find it somewhere there."

He led him into the living room where an obscenely enormous amount of book lay. They covered the floor, the tables, the couch, even the television!

"How. The. Hell." Alfred said.

"Good luck!"

"Well, better start with the first one."

Alfred read through EVERY SINGLE BOOK looking for his clue. He read about all the endeavors and battles that France and England had accomplished and fought. In fact, it made him a little jealous that they had such a history. It took him several hours and by the time he was finished, the sun was setting. He reached the final book hoping that he hadn't missed anything. At the end of the book, there was a piece of blank paper sewn in the book with a letter:

_Hello poppet, _

_I know that you have been reading for a long time (sorry, love) so I won't write too much. _

_Here's your next clue:_

_I used to own the seas when you were little. I've defeated many armies on my ship as a pirate. __Esta pirata es la persona que derroté la mayoría._

_This is the pirate I have defeated the most_. Alfred translated in his head. After all, Mexico is his neighbor.

'Well' Alfred thought, 'It is in Spanish and Spain's armada was defeated many times… I'll visit him!' And so he set out for Spain.

But, before he could get up, France forced him down.

"Wha?"

"There's more in the letter, mon cher."

He read on.

_I know that you want to rush to the next clue as fast as possible but, you need to rest. I'll assume you haven't eaten too much and so you're starving and that you haven't slept. I've asked Francis to prepare a room for you so get some rest. I'm fine but, I miss you. I hope you think your present is worth it._

Alfred stared lovingly at the Post Script before looking at France.

"Could you show me to my room?"

"Of course." When they got to the hallway, Francis stopped him again. "But, I do want to tell you something first."

"Yea?"

"Be careful with England. While he himself is not porcelain, his heart has been broken many times and it has been messily mended. You have already broken his heart and if you break it again, I'm sure it won't ever heal."

America stared at France for a moment before speaking. "I never intended to break his heart before but I swear on my life that I will never do it again."

France smiled at this. "Good. Now, let's find you some clothes. Those look absolutely terrible on you!"

America just rolled his eyes. When he finally was in bed, he thought of Arthur. About what he had learned and about what was laying ahead of him. But, mostly, he thought about what he was doing right now. Was he sleeping? Was Arthur thinking of him as he was thinking of Arthur? These thoughts and the memory of his loving gaze calmed him and got him to sleep.

The next morning he got up and got ready. It was still dark outside and he didn't want to bother France anymore. So, he left a note thanking him for everything before grabbing a croissant and catching the next train to Madrid.

The train ride was long, but when American arrived, he was met with Antonio at the train station.

"¡Hola, Alfred! How are you?"

"I-I'm pretty good. How did you know I would be here?"

"Arthur told me you might get here early and would want to leave as soon as possible before he left my house last week"

'Wow. He really planned this out.' Alfred thought before asking, "Do you know where he is going?"

"No, he kept me in the dark as he probably did with many others. But, I'm going to assume that you want your clue, ¿sí?"

"S-sí" Alfred said cursing his stutter. He wasn't Canadia!

"Well, I can't tell you where it is but, I can give you a riddle."

"Geez. England is getting really complicated."

"Sí, yo sé, mi amigo. Well, here it is: A pirate's life is the seas but a family man's life is his home. You were England's but what is mine?

Alfred sat and thought. "I was Britain's home. Home is where the heart is, right? So, your heart… the one you love… Romano?" Antonio didn't say but just smiled. Alfred stood and said, "Thanks Antonio. I'll send him over once I'm done there."

"Gracias, amigo. Have a safe trip!"

"Thanks!"

He got the next train ride to Southern Italy. It only took an hour or two and when he arrived, he rushed to Romano's house. He knocked on the door and it flung open.

"Hamburger bastardo." Romano said before standing aside to let American in.

"Hey! Lovino. Was England around earlier?"

"Yeah. He told me to go to Antonio's today. I don't know why but, he also gave me this."

Alfred took it and looked at it. It was a clue. "That was easier than I thought." He said.

"Yeah, well. Just take it and go. I'm going to Spagna's so I can't take care of a fatty like you."

"Haha, ok!"

Alfred started walking away while reading the note:

_Hello Love,_

_I know you've been doing a lot of travelling so I thought I would write a longer note so that you have something to read and to let you know I still care about you._

_The riddle I gave Antonio was no coincidence. It could have been any of the other combination of countries but, I chose Antonio because I feel that our relationship is similar. Romano was colonized by Spain. While there wasn't a war, they eventually grew apart but, then, fell in love. I feel like that is similar the only difference being a lot more blood being shed._

_Our history is long and bloody and I'll admit that sometimes I still wish to see you as your cute little self, (for which I chastise myself because I love you the way you are) but I never regret falling for you. You have made my life brighter in many ways and I can never thank you enough. _

_I'm not sure if you see this journey as absurd but, I hope that this has opened your eyes to see that our individual history is different. We have different lives, different countries, different traditions, ages, even language at some points but, we make it work. You make it work. You always smile at a difference and accept it. It's in your nature. I don't have that. I tend to close off at differences. I admire you for that._

_I'll see you soon. Stay safe. I love you._

_Arthur_

_(P.S. Here's your clue: This country, you could say, brought us together in battle. He also brought me the most pain with his Luftwaffe.)_

America walked while enjoying the scenery to the train station. He got a ticket to Germany but realized that it required a change in Austria.

When he got on the train, he reread the letter smiling and holding it close to his heart hoping that Arthur's handwriting would seep through his skin and attach to his heart.

In Austria, he had a few hours so he walked around observing the shops and the avenues.

As he was walking he ran into Austria and Hungary… literally.

"Hey! Watch where you're going you- oh, hi Alfred." Austria said.

"Hey! Roderich, how are you guys?"

"Pretty good! How's everything with Arthur? Any improvements? Where is he? I need pictures!" Hungary said as if she had said it a million times yet, with the same excitement.

"Uh… good? Kind of. I don't know. And no pictures, please." Alfred said trying to answer all of Hungary's questions.

"Oh yeah, you're on a scavenger hunt, right?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Arthur told us to give this to you but to tell you it's separate from the scavenger hunt."

"Oh, really?" Alfred said taking the envelope.

"Yep! We actually just got it now and we were readi- I mean wondering what it said. Anyways, we'll be seeing you, Alfred." Hungary said creepily.

"You will?"

"Yes. But, you won't" Hungary said while Roderich spared Alfred a glance that clearly said 'sorry'.

Alfred walked backed to the station but didn't open the letter. He was a little bit confused. What could possible be said in the letter?

He got on the train and sat down. As the train began moving, he opened the envelope and read:

_Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?_

_Thou art more lovely and more temperate._

_Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,_

_And summer's lease hath all too short a date._

_Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,_

_And often is his gold complexion dimmed;_

_And every fair from fair sometime declines,_

_By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimmed;_

_But thy eternal lines to Time thou grow'st._

_So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,_

_So long lives this, and this gives life to thee._

_I happened to be visiting Shakespeare while he was having a 'writing block' you might say. It was written before I met you, in 1599, but, I helped him create this. When I first met you, I immediately thought of this. I was so worried that you would go to France instead of me but, you chose me. No one had ever chosen me before. I knew immediately that you were special. I didn't know how special you would be. When you rebelled, I was distraught. I didn't know what to do nor did I know how to move on. I continuously tried to be an annoyance so that you would know how I hated you. Oh I had hated you for your ability to just succeed from me so easily without a second thought. I hated you for your ability to rip my heart in half with a blink of your eye and the turn of your body._

_I was so bitter. But, as you grew stronger, I grew less bitter. As time went on, I grew to love you again. Now, in a different way. Every time I saw you in a meeting or in battle, I couldn't help but blush. My heart would speed up and I would curse myself for it._

_When you told me you loved me, on VE- Day in 1945, I cried, as you know, of happiness. And I loved you too. I still love you and will always love you. Despite the insults and curses I throw at you. I will always love you._

_So, now, I give this poem to you. To remind you that you are my summer day, brightening my life with every smile and word._

_Be safe. I love you._

_Arthur_

Alfred cried and laughed out of happiness. He had never really heard the reason that Arthur loved him and rarely had he spoken the words. He folded the letter and pushed it against him engraining the words in his brain. This was the only present he had ever needed and wanted.

The train stopped and Alfred wiped his eyes. As he stepped onto the platform, he was met with Germany being dragged by Italy.

"Hey! Ludwig! Dude! Wait up!"

"Alfred!"

"Hey! You just missed Arthur!" Feliciano said. "Literally!"

"Wha-" Alfred said turning around. In the train was Arthur. He tried running and called his name. Arthur looked outside and saw Alfred. He waved. Alfred kissed his fingers and reached them out as if it would help. Arthur smiled as the train left the station.

"We were told to bring you to our house now!" Feliciano said. "Ne~ Ludwig! Can I drive?"

"NEIN! Never. Again."

Alfred stared a little confused but he followed them to Ludwig's car. They were on the autobahn for about an hour before arriving at Germany's house.

They knocked on the door and Japan opened the door.

"Konichiwa. I trust you had a …safe trip?" Japan said giving Germany a sympathetic look.

"Er… yeah." Alfred said. When the door closed, Alfred turned to Germany and asked "What's my clue?"

"You need to be patient, America. And you need to work. Arthur asked me to devise a training program to teach you patience. Here are some clothes. Go get changed and meet me down here in 5 minutes."

"Uhh…..Ok….."

5 minutes later, America was wearing what could be looked at as the most ridiculous looking lederhosen he's ever seen.

"Why. Am. I. Wearing. This?" He asked, straining to keep his voice down.

"You need to learn patience and what working for love truly means, so here's your task for me. You need to get me these things at this department store. You have no time limit but remember that you have 2 other tasks to complete."

Alfred looked at the list and nodded. It shouldn't be too hard.

It was hard.

He got to the stuff easily but standing in line was TORTURE. It was easily 3 miles long. He got through the first mile by thinking 'I hate Germany' over and over especially when kids stared and laughed at his ridiculous outfit but then he remembered what he said. "_You need to learn patience and what working for love truly means" _He stood up straighter and with a new determination. But, the line was just too damn long!

He took a few deep breaths and examined his surroundings. A giant Christmas tree was right next to him. He looked at the different ornaments before seeing one that was different from all the others. It was one right at his eye level and it was a little angel that looked exactly like Arthur. Right next to that one was one that looked exactly like him. He reached for them and turned them over. On Arthur's it said 'LOVE' and on his it said 'HOPE'. He smiled and grabbed them quickly before security could see him.

He looked around and saw things that all related to Arthur and he realized, if he was doing this for Arthur, he wouldn't mind at all because he loved him. A few hours later, he finally got to the cash register and paid. He got back to Germany's house just in time for a pasta dinner courteous of Italy.

It was delicious, as usual. Right as he was about to hit the sack, Germany gave him his second task.

"You need to clean the kitchen."

"What?"

"That's your second task. Usually I clean because I l-love Feliciano and so he cooks and I clean."

"O-oh." Alfred said. He walked into the kitchen. Scratch that. He walked into hell. Seriously. There were pots and pans everywhere; pasta noodles and sauce exploded on the floor, table, ceiling, counter, everywhere. It was a disaster. Germany handed him a broom and wished him luck before taking Feliciano to bed.

This time, he understood the point of the exercise. It just was terrible to make the room as spotless as the German would like it. At about 1:30 AM, he finally finished and he was exhausted. It was almost as if Feliciano was making a mess on purpose (which he probably did)

He closed the cabinet before collapsing on a chair. That's when he realized he saw a flash of yellow when closing it. He jumped up and re-opened the cabinet and saw a post-it note and it read: Goodnight, Alfred.

This note made him smile. He heard Arthur say goodnight to him several times on the phone and a few times in person but, it always made him smile every time. He grabbed the note before trudging up the stairs and collapsing on the bed and falling asleep.

The next morning, after breakfast, Germany gave him his last task.

"So, all I have to do is sit outside your door and wait for you?"

"Yes. And quietly."

"Okaaaay. I'll try" Alfred said following Germany to his office and sitting down near the door and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited for nearly 12 hours, he waited. He was bored out of his mind but he waited. He nearly spoke before remembering Arthur. He thought of Arthur for the whole time. Every memory he had of him. Finally, Germany left his office bearing an envelope.

"Here's your next clue. Good job. This was probably the hardest exercise you'll have to do."

"Haha, I hope so!" Alfred said

He ran to his room, packed anything he had (mainly letters) in a bag and sat down to read the letter.

_I've tried to help this nation before and so have you. He's pretty close by and here's the biggest clue: Pink frills._

"I'm off to Poland, guys!" America said before running out the front door.

When he got there, Poland was sitting in his living room with some food.

"Oh my god. It's like America! I didn't expect you would be here so soon! Like, England gave me some like instructions so here they are: you have to like learn about accepting people's opinions so like, you get to listen to me for one hour only! Like how lucky are you?" Poland said. "This is probably going to be the easiest part for you." He said laughing.

"Yeah… very easy" Alfred said half-heartedly.

He sat listening to Poland wishing with all his might that he could just say shut up but, he was respecting Poland and Arthur's wishes. He knew he had a big mouth and that he needed to learn to control it. This probably was the easiest way to practice.

"And so the pony did this like cutesy like little bow and everyone like loved it and like she and I are like this" he said holding his crossed fingers up "it's like ridiculous how like close we like are." He said. "Like OMG, look at the time. We've gone overtime for like 15 minutes! Congrats! We should like totally do this again sometime, America!"

"Haha yeah! Thanks for having me!" Alfred said politely though slightly forced before taking the next clue and silently reading it.

_So sorry you had to go through that love._

_But, you probably understand what I'm doing now, right? You know how much I love you for all your wonderful qualities, but some, I just can't stand. I will be patient as much as possible and listen to you no matter how stupid your idea might seem. But, respecting others and especially your loved ones is crucial and sometimes the hardest thing to do. I know I still have trouble with it, but I just want you to realize it._

_The next part, I'm sure will be the hardest for you. It may come down to a life or death situation. It requires you to go to your biggest enemy and having a pleasant conversation without insulting him. It doesn't need to be long. In fact, it could be only a five minute long conversation. You know exactly who I'm talking about, Alfred. But, believe me, it will all be downhill after this next one._

_Don't kill each other, okay?_

_Love you, always,_

_Arthur_

Alfred gulped. To the icy snow land of Russia it is. 'You are SO lucky I love you, Arthur.' Alfred thought as he trudged towards the exit of his mansion.

"Like, wait!" Poland said before running up to America.

"Yeah, Poland?"

"All of my trains are like down. I know it's not like the greatest time but, you'll like have to take my girl's boyfriend for now. She's like near the border and once they're together, they'll like come home so hurry there! I like miss her!"

Alfred just gaped at him.

"Oh! And you'll like need a saddle. This is like my least elaborate one, unfortunately, so you'll like have to make do, okasies? Okasies." Poland said showing a neon yellow saddle with yellow jewels on the stitching. America didn't look at Poland but placed the saddle on the horse before riding off as quickly as possible. He couldn't stand any more embarrassment. About halfway to the border, he started noticing the how beautiful the scenery was. There were many trees and flowers along the road. He smiled as he saw the different flowers he had given to England over the years.

Before he knew it, he was at the border. It was then, he realized, that it was the smallest part of Russia whom was probably not there. But, he looked up and there he was, evil aura and all.

"America, da?" Russia said "We need to converse but, I would prefer if we did it at my mansion in Moscow. If you would kindly step off your horse and take my hand, I will transport us there.

America was hesitant but, he eventually brought the horse to its er… mate and got off it. He approached Russia slowly and took his hand. Immediately, they appeared in Russia's home.

"How'd you do that, man?"

"It's quite simple really, you probably could too if you just stopped refusing to see the magic!" Russia said seemingly amiably.

'This might be easier than I thought' Alfred thought.

They conversed for longer than necessary, it turns out that despite their hatred, they have a lot in common. After 30 minutes of conversation, America decided to take his leave.

"We should do this again, da?" Russia said with what seemed to be truth.

"Yeah! It was interesting talking to you!" America said as he left.

As he walked out he saw China sneaking in. He just laughed. He knew they were together. Most people did, in fact. No one knew why they were trying to hide it, though.

He got on the train to the edge of Russia near Alaska as soon as possible. On the train, he fell asleep. He was exhausted.

He was having a strange dream about Poland riding a rainbow with his pony when an attendant shook him awake.

"Excuse me, sir? We have arrived at our destination." Alfred jumped awake.

"Oh, uh, thanks." He said as he grabbed his bag and left the train. Surprisingly, there was already a boat by the ocean heading to Alaska he jumped on wishing he could see Arthur again.

He looked around the boat and thought he saw a pair of eyebrows that he would know anywhere but, when he tried to get closer, they disappeared. 'Trick of my mind, I suppose' Alfred thought scratching the back of his head.

The boat ride was relatively short. When they got to Alaska, he sniffed the air glad to be in one of his homes. He took a taxi to his home where there was another post-it.

_Take a nap, love. You'll be home by Christmas._

Alfred smiled trying to figure out where he was to go next. He had literally gone all over the world for Arthur and he wouldn't mind doing it again.

He changed for what felt like the first time in years before falling on the bed, already asleep.

When he woke, he felt cold. He normally wakes up with Arthur next to him. He could never feel home without Arthur. This was the only thing he didn't like about this hunt: he couldn't do it with Arthur.

He got up trying to forget the sad parts. It's Christmas Eve! He tried to figure out where the next clue would be, but he couldn't find it. He searched the entire house before going to the front door again. There was a note on the inside.

_Christmas is a time for family. It took me a while to remember who he was but he is your brother so, you should visit him: Canada._

Alfred stood up and stretched before packing an extra pair of clothes just in case and got the first flight to Canada's house. (Thank God! The planes were finally working again!)

When he got there he knocked on the door for at least a minute straight before Canada opened the door.

"Prussia I'm not in the mood so go awa- oh, hi Alfred." Canada said before blushing. He didn't want his brother knowing that Prussia was coming over to his house.

"Hey, Mattie! How you doin'?"

"I'm well. Arthur sent you, right?"

"Yeah. I guess I get to hang out with you?"

"Oui!" Matthew said.

Matthew made pancakes while Alfred got out the usual condiments: Powdered sugar, maple syrup, the works.

When they were done, they sat down and started talking.

"You know, it's been forever since we've hung out like this." Alfred said.

"Yes. We should definitely do this more often" Matthew replied as they got up to do the dishes. When that was done, they sat down with some coffee and continued talking. About Arthur, Kumjirou, Prussia, but mainly, Alfred's adventures over these past couple of days.

"Wow, sounds like fun."

"Yeah! I learned a lot about so many other countries that I otherwise wouldn't know about!" Alfred said excitedly. "For example, did you know that Russia likes panda bears? I knew he was dating China, but I had no idea that they had that much in common!"

Matthew did a spit take. "Y-you talked to _Russia_?" Matthew said.

"Yeah! Even I was surprised at how well it went." Matthew just stared at him before shaking his head.

"You really have grown more mature." Matthew said before handing him the last clue.

Alfred took it and read it quickly.

_Come home, love. _

He smiled before standing.

"Thanks for the meal, Matthew. I'll call you. We should do this again soon."

"Yeah. That would be nice." He said showing him to the door. He left and got on the last plane. When he arrived in his hometown, D.C., he smiled at the Christmas lights that covered the town. He walked to a small house on the outskirts of town. Whenever Arthur came into town, they always stayed at this little house. The White House was his workplace and he would normally stay there but, with Arthur, they wanted something a little more intimate and personal.

He picked up his key shaking. He had never felt this nervous going into his home. When the door finally opened, he walked into the living room only to find Arthur on the couch asleep. 'He probably fell asleep waiting for me.' Alfred thought. He reached into his pocket and put the two Angels from Germany on their Christmas tree before picking him up and felt Arthur's arms slowly hold his neck as he brought them to bed.

He placed Arthur down on the bed before lying next to him. He didn't care that he had his clothes on, he was glad he was finally home.

The next morning, he woke up with Arthur clutching onto his shirt with his face in his chest.

"Mornin'" Alfred said kissing the top of his head.

"Morning, love" Arthur said moving his head so that they could kiss normally. It had felt like years since they had kissed properly and so, when it finally happened, Alfred never wanted it to stop, but Arthur pulled away.

"I want to give you your present, now" Arthur said.

"Ooh! What is it?" Alfred said perking up.

"I hope you'll like it and I hope you think that this journey you took represents our past and our present. But, most of all, I hope that this will represent our future." Arthur said reaching for the bedside table. He opened the drawer and pulled out a little blue velvet box. Alfred gasped.

"Alfred, will you marry me?" Alfred smiled before hugging him and responding.

"Yes. Of course. Always." Alfred said before crying tears of happiness. They had been together for so long, that this was what he had wanted. It's funny. He had almost expected this.

"This is actually very funny." Alfred said.

"How so?"

"Because, I got you your present here, too" he said reaching for his bedside table. "I'm surprised you haven't looked here, it's been here for nearly 6 months. I was going to give it to you next time you came over but, looks like you beat me to the punch!"

"What?"

"Arthur, this journey has been amazing. I really never feel home unless you're there so, will you always be there? Will you marry me?"

Arthur stared before expressing a million emotions in less than a minute. The main one being happiness. "Y-yes. Of course. A-always." He said with happy tears slowly moving down his face.

Throughout all their years together, they would always remember this Christmas as the best Christmas ever. It was the year they finally found each other and who they were; it was the year they sealed the deal and realized, they were stuck together forever.

**I hope you enjoyed our story! Please rate and review! **

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